The Plot Against Native America: The Fateful Story of Native American Boarding Schools and the Theft of Tribal Lands

by Bill Vaughn

The first narrative history revealing the entire story of the development, operation, and harmful legacy of the Native American boarding schools—and how our nation still has much to resolve before we can fully heal.

When Europeans came to the Americas centuries ago, too many of them brought racism along with them. Even presidents such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson each had different takes on how to solve the “Indian Problem”—none of them beneficial for the Natives.

In the early 1800s, the federal government and various church denominations devised the “Indian Boarding Schools,” in which Native children were forced to give up their Native languages, clothes, and spiritual beliefs for a life of cultural assimilation. Many of the children were abused sexually—and a shocking number died of pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other diseases. Sizable graveyards were found at many of these boarding schools.

In 2021, the mass graves of First Nations children were found at the remains of some Canadian boarding schools, and the Pope traveled to Canada to apologize. In May 2022, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland released the first installment of an investigation into Native American boarding schools in the United States. It was the tip of the iceberg. The findings were the investigation revealed that the boarding school system emphasized manual labor and vocational training, which failed to prepare indigenous students for life in a capitalist economy.

Despite the plot against Native America, tribal cultures have endured and are now flourishing. Indigenous birth rates are higher than those of white communities. Tribal councils across Indian Country are building their own herds of bison. As the tribes rebuild and reinvigorate their culture, the Catholic Church in America is fading. Some thirty dioceses have declared bankruptcy because of lawsuits brought by the victims of the sexual predators among priests and nuns. Native Americans seeking reparations for lost land are looking directly at the Vatican.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Indigenous, Native American

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Books by Bill Vaughn

The Plot Against Native America
The Last Heir
Hawthorn
First, a Little Chee-Chee
Making Bones
Gift With Purchase
Set the Prairie on FIre

He publishes a newsletter, “Squalor Zone Reports,” every other week or so at substack.com.

Reviews

[MackGetsLit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be a part of required reading for high school US History classes, or at least portions of it. The systematic racism and processes put in place to dismantle indigenous culture over the centuries in the US and Canada is clearly spelled out in this book. Focusing on the collaborative effort of the government and organized Christian churches, especially the Catholic Church, Vaughn walks the reader through how that partnership was successful in doing so across the two countries.

[Kirsten Schlewitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, but not solid, if that makes sense. Stories aren't introduced chronically, and that means sometimes the context is left out when subjects are first discussed. Generally, though, it is a good overview of how Native boarding schools began, found pupils, and the consequences of the mission to civilize and christianize.

[Katie Sirbasku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very educational. This book covered a lot of information. At times it was hard to follow because it was not organized in a way that my brain could absorb. It often jumped around in dates and themes. I’m still glad I read it because it highlighted a lot of issues that still exist today.

[Elizabeth Mabrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would have greatly benefitted from having any semblance of structure. Facts and stories float by with no connection, organization, or sequence, so it feels unfocused and repetitive. It's a shame.

[Vincent Veerbeek · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was rooting for this to be a good book, but unfortunately it's quite a mess. While there are some through-lines, Vaughn leaves his readers to figure out for themselves what any of it is supposed to mean or what point he was trying to make. One moment the book paints history with broad strokes, the next it focuses on minute details, drifting from one anecdote to the next with little cohesion to any of it. Vaughn had his heart in the right place and he makes a few important points about boarding school history, but I wish he had done more to take the reader along in his thought process and give them a chance to continue exploring this history for themselves. It's good that this brings some much-needed exposure to the subject, but there are about a dozen other books I'd recommend for anyone interested in the subject before this one would even come to mind. (1.5 stars)

[Mary Elizabeth Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Structured poorly and needed a solid copyedit, but the content was informative.

[Adam Carman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill Vaugn lays out the case against the United States and various religious organizations, especially the Roman Catholic Church, for their role in the genocide of Indigenous Americans. He especially focuses on the boarding school system and the terrible price the young people paid. It goes more thematically than chronologically and is written in a blend of formal and informal that makes it hard to engage sometimes. The parts are greater than the sum of the whole, but certainly he makes the case that this was the plan all along.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for effort but this book was hit or miss. I was looking forward to a more forested view of the machinations against our native people and some chapters delivered this. Others got bogged down in telling individual stories without tying it to the theme as a whole. Those chapters could be skipped while reading the chapter The Hostages, for example, would more effectively tell the story of white man's intents. I was left wanting to research the history of my locale. I encourage us non indigenous to give Shuumi.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as this topic is a fascinating and terrible part of American history I could just not read this book and I dnf’d around 60 percent. There isn’t any cohesive story telling going on, it’s like you asked a stranger about a point in history they’re really passionate about and they just go on and on to the point where you’re lost because all the people, places, and points get all jumbled up and you just start nodding your head say “uh huh” over and over

[Trizzlefits]

"...'the beneficiaries of this trust did not voluntarily choose to have their lands taken from them; they did not willingly relinquish pervasive control of their money to the United States. The United States imposed this trust on the Indian people. As the government concedes, the purpose of the IIM trust was to deprive plaintiffs' ancestors of their native lands and rid the nation of their tribal identity.'"

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is well researched and provides much important information about the government's dealing with native Americans. However, the book could have used some serious editing and reorganization. The author's writing style is all over the place, and I had to struggle to finish the book, even though I was interested in the topic.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

WARNING: this book is not for the faint of heart but it is for anyone who is willing to look at the truth and understand the wrongs that need to be righted on this Earth. Pauli Murray on tiktok is reading this aloud.

[Catherine Lomas-Slate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for narratives, but this story is moreso an academic history. I appreciate the research that Vaughn conducted in order to write this comprehensive history. I wish U.S. history classes would have included at least some basic information in my high school curriculum.

[Nishna Makala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-opening, well-researched, and informative book on the systematic oppression of Native Americans.

[Lyndsay Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

At times the history line can be tough to follow. However it is an eye opening account of history that should be heard. We need to learn more as a society. Thank you for the education.

[ForgedOpulence · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did learn things, but with much effort, and I'm not sure at what cost. There was barely any punctuation in this book which completely ruined the read for me. I also felt like facts were just being regurgitated with little contextualization or thematic exploration. It read like a very mid textbook.